Massive fire destroys National Museum of Natural History in Delhi: All you need to know about the incident

New Delhi: National Museum of Natural History premises became the newest addition to the list of prominent buildings which have fallen prey to fire in recent months. The museum is a part of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) building, situated in Central Delhi. The unfortunate incident occurred during the wee hours of Tuesday, April 26.

No conclusive statement regarding the cause of the incident has been issued as yet. As many as 35 fire-tenders were rushed to the scene to control the flames and rescue operations. Reportedly, none of the fire safety equipment installed in the building was functional, which made firemen’s task very difficult.

Talking to Jagran Post, the official from the Fire Department informed that five firemen had to be admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital because of excessive inhalation of toxic gases. They were later discharged after receiving medical care. He further informed that the call was received just after 1AM and the fire was completely doused at about 6AM.

In the latest development, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javedkar has visited the site where he said the museum was operating out of a FICCI property.

"This is a rented property. Its not the Ministry's property, but a FICCI property. Therefore, we have limitations. The issue is that this is a real loss and we will assess the loss when the building is again handed over to us. We will see how the recovery plan can be made," he said.

"The fire personnel are looking after it. But we will assess the damage as soon as they hand it over to. We will see how this can be restored. We will be able to get the details in two days and then chalk out a strategy," added the Union Minister.

The National Museum of Natural History, or NMNH in New Delhi is one of the two museums focusing on nature in India. Established in 1972, the museum functions under the Ministry of Environment and Forests of the Government of India.